LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When powerlifting coach Nicola Vaughan-Ellis wanted to create a winning formula for her athletes , she did n't head to the weight room . Instead , she found herself in the classroom .

Coach Nicola Vaughan-Ellis with athletes from Great Britain 's powerlifting team .

Head coach of Great Britain 's powerlifting squad , Vaughan-Ellis participated in a course that 's designed to boost the leadership and management skills of coaches .

Vaughan-Ellis 's responsibilities run the gamut from identifying up-and-coming talent to developing training programs .

She had friends who were corporate performance directors , and realizing the skills they had were applicable to her own line of work , she decided to pursue a professional development course designed for coaches .

`` We expect athletes to be the best they can be . Our responsibility as coaches is to be the best we can be , '' Vaughan-Ellis told CNN .

In pursuit of becoming better managers and leaders , players in the business world have long turned to executive education programs . Elite coaches are taking a cue from business and turning to tailored programs too .

In the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London , the desire to develop high caliber coaches is ramping up in the UK , said John Neal of Ashridge Business School , where Vaughan-Ellis took the coaching course .

`` A lot of coach development work -LSB- in the UK -RSB- is ad hoc . It 's becoming more clearly defined , but our vision is to establish a more development pathway for coaches , '' he told CNN .

Vaughan-Ellis trains about 20 powerlifters as part of a program that was established to prepare athletes in Great Britain for major competitive events like the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics .

Nutritionists , psychologists , fitness coaches and sports scientists are all focused on a goal of helping athletes achieve a performance edge , she says . But coaches also need to make sure they make the best decisions for their athletes .

That requires a broad range of skills , from understanding the athlete experience and identifying particular challenges they may encounter as well as having a firm understanding of where funding comes from and making sure it 's spent wisely

`` We prepare our athletes to be the best in the world . But we also have to make sure that we are making the best choices for them , '' she said .

Ashridge , which specializes in customized education programs , has been running sport coaching courses since 2001 . Its core World Class Sport Coach Development program is endorsed by the British Olympic Association .

The course is made up of 10 one-day master classes that are spread out over a period of about 10 months . In a typical meeting , coaches are given scenarios , break up into groups for discussion and then present their responses to the class .

The program is flexible so coaches can focus on the skills they want to improve . A wide range of topics are covered , from communication , negotiation and team building skills to body language , motivation and development of young players .

Neal estimates that about 160 coaches have completed the coaching program since it was launched . Most participants are UK-based , but coaches come from around the world and represent a long list of sports that includes diving , swimming , rugby , hockey , shooting and cricket .

Coaches have few opportunities to share their knowledge . According to Neal , that 's one reason why the course has been popular . One measure of its success : Many coaches , like Vaughan-Ellis , participate more than once .

Due to a lack of funding , however , coaches oftentimes end up paying for the course themselves . Ashridge heavily subsidizes the program and charges # 2,000 , just about a quarter of what it actually costs to run it .

But in return , the business school gets a unique perspective on decision making that is fed back into its executive education programs , Neal said .

Elite coaches have a lot to offer companies , especially in the current economic downturn , Neal said . More businesses are under pressure to maximize efficiency , and many want to learn from the sport experience , since coaches are required to achieve results quickly .

With 2012 less than three years away , Vaughan-Ellis is planning to return to Ashridge for a refresher .

She says one of the advantages of the program is that it helps coaches deal with pressure by teaching them how to cope with and embrace change . That 's an invaluable skill in athletics .

`` Sport is change , '' she said . `` You 're only as good as your last competition or as strong as your weakest link . You have to move forward and constantly evolve . ''

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With 2012 Games approaching , focus on coach development on the rise in UK

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Elite coaches turn to program run by Ashridge Business School to build skills

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Course designed to transfer lessons from business world to sport